The disclosed embodiments relate generally to an approach for managing a print job in a networked printing system and, more particularly, to an approach in which custom services can be added to a print job pursuant to its submission to a printer from a client workstation.
In the area of digital printing and copying, there has been a growth in demand for multifunction electronic printing devices (MFD). Such devices may assume the form of an arrangement in which a single print engine (e.g., xerographic or thermal ink jet print engine) is coupled with a plurality of different image input devices (or “services”), with such devices being adapted to produce image related information for use by the printer or transmitted over a network. The image related information, in one example, could have its origin in video facsimile signals, microfilm, data processing information, light scanning platens for full size documents, aperture cards, and microfiche. MFDs provide a broader range of functionality than traditional single-function devices, such as dedicated printers, copiers, and scanners. Because of their network transmission capabilities combined with their functionality, it is useful for MFDs to be able to utilize web browsers to access information from the World Wide Web and various document devices present on the LAN to which the MFD is connected.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20080091800 to Sorrentino et al. (published on Apr. 17, 2008 and entitled “Local User Interface Support of Remote Services”) discloses a number of prior art implementations for accessing web content on a MFD. More particularly, Publication No. 20080091800, the pertinent portions of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a MFD enabling access to both services resident on the MFD and remote services through a user interface that processes digital documents through use of a Web browser. The MFD includes a browser for requesting and viewing external web applications pages on the local user interface of the MFD for remote service(s) running in the browser and for transmitting system events to remote service browser page(s). The MFD also includes a local applications service, which controls services resident on the MFD, and a local user interface, which permits local and remote systems to interrogate and control the MFD. Web services provide application programming interface(s) capable of utilizing a plurality of web protocols.
Xerox Corporation (“Xerox”) and Canon USA, Inc. each currently offer a platform permitting the introduction of custom services on the interface panel of an MFD (hereinafter referred to as “the custom services platform”). For example, each currently offered custom services platform can be used to offer special scanning or copying services at the MFD. Thus, the typical custom services platform includes a copy path. However, as understood, the focus of these custom services platforms has not been on print path development.
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed embodiments there is disclosed a print job processing system for use with a document processing system in which one or more document processing components are communicatively coupled with a network. The print job processing system includes: a memory for storing a document corresponding with an internal format; a print driver, communicating with said memory, for converting the document corresponding with the internal formal into a document corresponding with a printable format; a user interface with a display; a browser, communicating with said user interface and the network, for accessing a services interface, the services interface including at least one selectable service available by way of the network; a browser activating system, communicating with said print driver and said browser, for opening said browser to display the at least one selectable service of the services interface on said user interface display; and wherein, responsive to selecting the at least one selectable service from the displayed services interface, the at least one selectable service is applied to the document corresponding with the printable format.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed embodiments there is disclosed a method for processing a print job with a document processing system in which one or more document processing components, including a client workstation having both a print driver and memory, are communicatively coupled with a network. The method includes: storing a document corresponding with an internal format in the memory of the client workstation; using the print driver to convert the document corresponding with the internal formal into a document corresponding with a printable format; accessing a services interface with a browser, the services interface including at least one selectable service available by way of the network; opening the browser with a browser activating system, the browser activating system being disposed in the client workstation; responsive to said opening, displaying the at least one selectable service; selecting the at least one selectable service from the displayed services interface; and applying the at least one selectable service to the document corresponding with the printable format.